VOL. L _
THE FREE SOUTH.
BEACFOUT, S.C.,JI LY IB* 1863.
AKenis for tbe Free South.
* Taylob & Co. Hilton Head, and SC Helena Island.
C. C. Leigh. No. 1 Mercer street. New York.
jy Agents wanted In the different Regiments of this
Department, for the Fuek Socth. ,
The arrival of the mail from New York
on the 11th inst., bringing details of Lee's
overthrow and the fall of Yicksburg, dis
sipated the clouds of despondency which
for the previous fortnight had settled upon
the minds of all in this department; it
was in fact, difficult to give expression to
the feeling of relief and thankfulness which
succeeded so quickly to anxiety and doubt.
. The achievements of the army of the
Potomac absorbed most of the interest.?
. _ ___ The air around us seemed to throb with
the mighty pulsations of battle as we read
* of two veteran armies, each a hundred
thousand strong, engaged for three days in
their last desperate struggle for mastery.
Animated by the memories of former
struggles ; conscious that this was likely
to be their final encounter ; knowing
that the issue of the war having upon
the result; they fought with a courage,
an energy and skill that never has been
surpassed. Thanks be to God the cause
of freedom and humanity triumphed.?
A whole nation and millions yet unborn
will do honor to the noble army of the
Potomac for the benificent result.
It had long been inadequently led, aad,
? as a consequence of that leadership, had
been wasted in no less than five severe and
sanguinary campaigns. We were told,
indeed, that it was utterly dispirited by
these successive failures; we knew that it
was depleted in numbers by the termination
of,the nine months enlistments ; and
it was doubted by many whether the administration
had taken all the means in
its power to recruit its ranks and maintain
its moral confidence. There were
those even shameless enough to proclaim
that it would not fight at all, except under
a particular general, as if an American
army fought for a man alone and not
for a cause. But m the face of these sombre
predictions the Army of the Potomac
has exhibited a spirit, an endurance, a
discipline and a gallantry which would
* ? ?* x ? 1L ~ V?4. ? ,
nave Clone nonor w any OI me uesi mrniw
in the world. It has made rapid and toilsome
marches by night as well as by day;
it has endured the most exhausting pri.
rations and fatigues ; and, at the end of
of all, it has resisted attack with stubborn
discipline and iron firmness, and rushed
into conflict with springing alacrity and
enthusiasm. Had it won no decisive victory,
it would still have redeemed its
name by the energy and vigor of its attempt
But it has more than*won a victory,
it has completely routed the enemy,
at the latest showing, inflicted upon him
injur es which will be irreparable in all
time. Immortal honor and glory then,
-to the noble Army of the Potomac !
Nor should we forget, in this season of
-our triumphs, the honored dead by whose
toils and sacrifices it hasr been largely
won. Many a gallant spirit lies silent
forever on the bloody field ; many peaceful
homes are instantly made desolate;
our hearts go forth in sorrow to the fallen
and the condolence to the bereaved ; but
this is the eternal glory of those who have
perished, as of those who mourn their
deaths, that they have given their lives to
the noblest cause in which man was ever
called to suffer. They have died for a
country which is worthy of the blood of
its citizans; for the honor and integrity
of a government in which the dearest rights
of millions are involved; and for great
principles of human freedom and human
justice, in which the world and ages to
come are deeply interested. Nowhere
could they have earned a more glorious
renown, for nowhere else could th ij have
contributed a better service to humanity.
The wheat harvest has commenced in
Illinois, and it is very heavy.
*
'
#
THE FREE SOUTH, SAT
Major General Meade.
Assuming liis heavy responsibilities at
an inauspicious moment General Meaile
appears to have emerged from the trial
with the highest honors of the soldier.?
In the absence of authentic official reports
we are unable to judge of the skill and
ability of his manoeuverings in the field,
but such information as we have would
seem to prove that his dispositions were
made with solid judgement, that his forces
were advanced or withdrawn always at a
proper time, that he was himself every where
present to see his orders fully executed,
and that he knows how to pursue as
welbas how to fight.? The modesty and
reticence of his brief despatches, in which
we find no vain glorious promises of success
yet unachieved, no mentioned of superb
charges and tremendous captures,
and his statement of the progress of events *
up to the hour, would go to confirm tlje
high estimates of his soldierly qualities
which the public is disposed to form. It
may yet be that a man who went into the
war quite unknown, who h?s had no party
to herald his triumphs before they were
won, or to cover his defeats with palliations
and excuses, will come out of it the
real hero of the day. *
J^If the old proverb "Like master,
like man" holds good in the confederacy,
then our chivalric neighbors on the main
land must be in a most dilapidated condition.
The contrabands who were brought
off by Col. Higginsou from the Edisto
river were the dirtiest, raggedest, leanest
specimens of dark humanity we have ever
seen. The eye selected them at once from
the crowds of comparativele well dressed,
healthy, happy, comfortably looking men
and women who were welcoming them so
warmly on their debarkation. We were
sorry to*see so many very old, worn-out
and feeble negroes among those brought
away. Many of them have but a few
years to live, others are jiot likely to be
anything but an expense to the government.
It would seem like doing a favor
to tlio rebels to bring away such. They
are likely to experience here quite as many
of the trials of freedom as of its blessings.
4^*From such accounts as we have, we
think the circumstances connected with
the loss of the guns of the Connecticut
Battery, which were thrown overboard
from the steamer Miljgn on th? recent
expedition should be investigated. A
very small amount of courage and good
J ?A V, /.MA eoiTA/3 iVio mirtn
juugeuieiit wuuiu uai c oavcu vuv wwwj
and brought off much other property
which had to be destroyed. That there
was no necessity for such precipitate
flight from the boat Is shown by the fact
that Major Strong, of the First South
Carolina, returned to the wreck and, unmolested,
destroyed her. It is hard to
see any reason why those guns could not
have been removed to the John Adnins, or
at least placed in a flat and towed down
the river to a place of safety.
jgp* By thtf deserters to Fort Pulaski,
we learn that Charleston has for the third
time been emptied of its inhabitants.?
The new attack took them completely by
sui prise, as they had. supposed it safe to
return to their home^ and were fast getting
comfortably settled for the summer.
hrtr. onn4- MiAvc7 ovaiIoKIo man fn
QttYtlll Hfll I llflC O^UII OfWJ U V UJUUMAV ?uuu ?v
Charleston, but the 'worst apprehensions
are entertained of the result The* name
of Gilmore is a synoniin for activity, genius
and success in Savannah. Memories
of the fall of Pulaski fill their minds
and their fears point to a similar fate for
Sumter.
Presentation. -j-Lieut P. F. Hodge, of
Co. A. 55th Pennsylvania Volunteers,
was on the 15th inst., made the recipient
of a sword, sash and belt, by the members
of his company, as a token of their high
regard for his many*|irtues as a soldier
and a gentleman.
Negro soldiers in Kansas receive only
10 dollars a month.
URDAY, JULY 18,1863.
fcaTThe recent raid upon the Combahee,
under the command of Col. Montgomery,
has been the subject of much severe
comment in the public press of the
north. Qpom the Boston Common icealUi
we make the following extract:
In the first place, it affords seeming justification
to the calumny against negro
troops, that they will not observe the rules
of civilized warfare. How industriously
this slander has been propagated in Europe
and among the northern people, what
harping there has been upon the "horrors
of servile war," all men know. And now
the very first act of the government, or at
any rate, of those whom the troops must
obey, seems studiously calculated to give
the colors of truth to this malignant falsehood.
That such has been the effect of the irregular
proceedings in question is undoubtedly
true. That it is unjust to draw
llsuch conclusions, to the detriment of the
character of the colored troops in this department
is manifest to those who have
had an opportunity to know how obedient
and manageable they are in action or in
occupation. No troops in the entire course
of this war have conducted themselves
%
with a more honorable decorum in the
enemy's country than those who captured
Jacksonville. Private property has been
as safe in their presence as under the
charge of its owners. Without the orders
and example of their -officers we are satis fied
that no such scene^of pillage and destruction
would have taken place as are
reported.
Let it be distinctly understood, therefore,
that the responsibility for all the
acts committed on the Combahee should
rest with the officers, and so far as we
know they are willing that it should so
rest. Not a house was btirned or "looted"
because of the disobedience or uncon
trolled cupidity of the men, but in direct
accordance with the order and example of
the officers.
A Blockade Runner Captured by the
Planter.
On Monday a schooner was perceived
endeavoring to make her way out to sea
by the narrow and shallow channel back
of Sullivan's Island. The Planter happening
to be in the neighborhood was instantly
sent in pursuit, and drawing but
little w$ter she was able to intercept het
after ^ short c^ase. She was towed out
to the fleet by her captor and was found
to be loaded with cotton and naval stores,
bound for Nassau. The impudence which
she manifested in attempting to put .to
sea in sight of almost one hundred gunboats
and transports is certainly to be
admired. The old Planter vill have a little
prize money by her lucky capture.
? 1.
Changes in this Department from
January st to June 30.?Enlisted Men,
disch^jged on Surgeons cer; ificate of disability,
427, discharged by Medical Inspectors,
471 ; Total, 898. Discharged
by reasons of promotion, 141; by order
of the Secretary of War, 2 ; upon application
after 20 years service, 1; Died, 152.
Commissioned Officers, Resigned, 2 Colonels,
6 Liehtenant Colonels, 5 Majors,
30 Captains, 48 1st Lieutenants, 38 2d
Lieutenants, 10 Surgeons and Assistants,
7 Chaplains; Total 146. Dismissed by
sentence of General Court Martial, 8;
died, 4. Commissioned Officers discharged
by orders of War Department : For disability,
9 ; for incompetency,* 4 ; cause not
stated, 3 ; mustered out 2 ; dismissed by
the President, 3. Total 179, commissioned
officers. m
On Monday, a transport bringing
supplies to the beleaguered garrison of Fort
Wagner was discovered by our artillerists
approaching Cummings point. Our batteries
immediately opened upon her and
in a few moments a shot struck her steam
drum, entirely disabling her. She soon
grounded and was abandoned by her crew.
During the night a detachment of our
men was sent out to destroy her.* They
succeeded in setting her on fire and burning
her to the water's edge without the
slightest opposition from the enemy.
NO. 28. ,
Attack on Helena, Arkansas.
On the fourth of July our forces, under .
General Prentice, at Helena, Ark., con'
sisting partly of three colored regiments,
were attacked bv ten or twelve thousand
v f
; rebels uuder Price and Marmaduke. The ?
! attack was very fierce and determined,
; lasting from daylight till dark. In the
j early part of the day a battery of six guns
wal captured by the rebels, but was afterward
retaken by ouV men. The rebels
A 11 11 ?Jl 1 1
were nnany repuisea witn neavy loss in.
killed and wounded, and 850'prisoners. ?
The Union loss was only about 100 killed- .
that t>f the rebels 500. The steamers Tycovii
and Silver Moon arrived in Memphis
with the prisoners. Details of the engagement
have not yet been received, but
it is stated that the colored troops fought
bravely and did good service. These are ^
the same troops who repulsed the rebels
at Miliken's Bend.
B?Bp. On Wednesday two men in a small
boat hailed ouf pickets near Seabrqjok and.
were allowed to land. They proved to
be two German deserters from the 3d.
South Carolina cavalry. They had been
placed on picket only that morning and.
finding a boat in the marsh, took advantage
of a long sought opporcunity to
escape. They had been in service about
sixteen months, having been taken out ot **
their work-shops and drafted into the
southern army early in the war. They
possess but littlo information of use to us,
having been kept fh ignorance of passing
events by the confederate authorities.?
j They report their rations to be small in
J quantity and poor in quality. Their
! clothing was entirely of English mani^
: facture, and was course but good. They
are much better supplied in this respect
now than formerly. They were armed,
with Colt's revolvers, silver mounted, being
a part of those sent south in such,
quantities jy Buchanan's secretary of war,
After an examination by Capt. W. M.
McArthur, of the 8tli. Maine, recently
appointed Provost Marshal of the post at ?
Hilton Heed, they were allowed to go to
work in the Quarter Master's Department.
Bgk, That the destitution and suffering'
in the manufacturing towns of New England,
which had been anticipated by some
persons as the result of a deficient supply
of cotton and the consequent suspension
of operations in many cotton mills, has not
occurred, appears from a statement just
published of the condition of the savings
banks in five of the largest towns of that
character in Massachusetts, viz : Lowell,
Lawrence, Waltham, Fall River and Taunton.
In these, there was during the year
1862, as compared with 1861, an increase
of 2687 in the number of depositors, and
of 81,162,264 47 in the amount of deposits. ?
The returns of the bank commissioners
to the legislature show, for an aggregate
of between eighty and ninety savings institutions
in the state, the depositors increased
by 23,842, and the deposits by
$5,618,235 67; the total amount of the
latterln 1862 being 850,403,674 23.
A FeaAful Record.?An army officer
writes from Louisiana, to the Boston Trimr
script, that the camps of the black regiments
in Gen. Banks' army, are models of neat? ??
' ness and order, and that but one man in the
whole command has been punished for
misconduct. Never were men seen to
fight with more dauntless courage and
devotion than these raw recruits. Ho
adds :
Every one that presents himself to be
recruited striDs to the skin, to be surveyed
by the surgeon. We do not accept onehalf
that offer. On Tuesday out of 82,
only 33 were accepted. I have directed
my surgeons to keep accurate lists of the
causes of rejection. They report to me
that not one in fifteen is free from severe
lashing. More than one-Jutlf are rejected,
because of disability arising from lashinj
icith xchips, and the biting of dogs in their
aires and thighs. It is frightful. Hun- I
dreds of them have welts on their backs \
as large as one of your largest fingers.?
I intend to have these memoranda col1
lected and published, with certificate oi
surgeons.
*